Washing-machine.



, No. 7|7,372. Patented nec. 3o, |902'. w. c. FAwKEs.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application led Apr. 17, 1902.)

Nb. 717,372. Patented nec. 3o, |902.`

w. C. FAWKES.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 17l 1902.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILBERT C. IFAWKES, OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,372, dated December30, 1902.

Application iiled April 1 7, 1902l To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBERT C. FAwKEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Chicago, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing-m achines. The improved machineincludes a tub, a shaft extending through the bottom of saidtub, a tubein the tub surrounding the shaft and also extending-through said bottomand fixed in place, a rubber on the shaft and located in the tub, a gearfixed to said shaft below the tub, a second gear adapted to mesh withthe other gear, and a rack adapted to mesh with the second gear andconnected with the tub. The tub, in the present case, is adapted tooscillate, and the gears are so proportioned that on the prescribedstroke of the tub in one direction the rubber will be given a completerotation,and on the opposite stroke of said. tub said rubber will beoppositely rotated, and by virtue of the gears the rubber will turn in adirection opposite to that followed by the tub. As the several gears andotherparts,which are generally oily or greasy, are below the tub and outof sight, they cannot come in contact with the clothes as they are beingput into or taken from the top, as in case they did they would soil suchclothes.

The machine can be operated with comparatively small expenditure ofpower, and the lid of the tub can be thrown back, so as to obtain freeaccess to the latter when putting in the clothes or wringing the same.

The machine is capable of rapid work and of thoroughly cleaning theclothes.

In the present case the second gear above referred to turns about afixed shaft, and to said shaft I connect a` spring, the other end of thespring being connected with the tub, so that when said tub is oscillatedthe spring will be stretched, whereby when the tub reaches the oppositeends of its movements.

said spring by contracting will aid the op-` erator in imparting areturn stroke to the tub. When wringing the clothes, it is desirable tohold the tub against movement, and to secure this result I provide alocking de- 1 the leg-bracket 8.

Serial No. 103.370. (No model.)

vice adapted to coperate with the fixed shaft just mentioned.

The invention includes other objects and advantages, which withtheforegoing will be set forth at length in the following description,`while the novelty thereof will form the basis of the claims appended tosaid description, and the invention is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-a Figure 1 is a sectional side elevationof a washing machine including my improvements. Fig. 2 is an invertedplan view of a Areceptacle and gearing with the standard or leg-bracketremoved. Fig. 3 is an under side view of the dolly or pin block.

Like characters refer to like parts th roughout the several views.

The receptacle or tub is denoted by 5, vand it may be madewholly ofgalvanized metal or may be of any other suitable material, and the sameapplies to the other parts of the machine.

A perpendicular shaft is shown at 6, it eX- tending centrally throughand below the bottom of the tub 5 and at its lower end being fittedfreely in the socket portion 7 of the legbracket 8, such socket portionor body 7 of the leg-bracket having depending and outwardlydisposedangular arms 9, to which the legs 10 are bolted or otherwise secured andare adapted to rest upon a floor or other foundation. A cup 1l is fittedinto the enlarged upper end of the socket 7 and receives theantifriction-balls 12, with which the cone 18, secured to said shaft 6,is adapted to coperate, the bearing thus provided for the shaft being anantifriction one.

Just above the cone 13 is situated the pin-v ion 14, the same beingrigidly secured to the vertical shaft 6. A second pinion 15 meshes withthe pinion 14 and is free to turn around the vertical shaft 16,'situated below the tub and suitably secured to theiextension 17 of Itwill be noted that the shaft 16 is a stationary one and that the gear 15is loose on and rotates around said 'fixed shaft 16. A plate 18 issuitably fastened to the under side of the bottom of the tub, and it hasa perforationat or near its center into which the lower threaded end 0fthe tube 19 is screwed, the lower end of the tube being substantiallyflush with the boss or hub 20. The vertical shaft to which reference ishereinbefore made extends entirely through the tube 19, and it carriesan agitator or rubber, denoted in a general Way by 2l and which willhereinafter be more particularly described.

A collar 23 surrounds the shaft 6 and is suitably secured to the boss20, and it coperates with a similar collar 24, the adjacent faces of thecollars having complemental grooves to receive the balls 25. The collar23 turns around the shaft 6 with the plate 18, and hence with the tub 5,while the collar 24 is secured in some suitable manner to the pinion orgear l4,whereby a suitable anlifriction-support for the tub is secured.The collars 23 and 24 and the cone 13 and cup 11 are preferably made ofhardened steel.

Between the plate 18 and bottom of the tub and surrounding the tube 19is situated the metal washer 26, while a metal collar or nut is fittedonto thetube just above the bottom of the tub, a rubber gasket 28surrounding said tube and being situated between the collar or nut 27and said bottom of the tub. By reason of the collar 27 and gasket 28,just alluded to, the escape of water through the bottom of the tub isprevented, and the upper end of the tube will be situated some distanceabove the level of the water, so that the latter cannot enter said tube.

The plate 18 carries at one end the depending rack 29, of segmentalform, the teeth of which are upon the inside of and are adapted to meshwith those of the pinion 15. When the tub is oscillated, the rack 29 ofcourse will move therewith and will rotate the pinion 15, which in turnrotates the pinion 14, so as to rotate the shaft 6, and hence the rubber2l connected therewith, and the gears will be so proportioned that whenthe tub makes a prescribed stroke the rubber will be given a completeturn, and by virtue of the train of gearing illustrated said rubber willturn in a direction opposite to that followed by the tub.

The tub is shown as provided with a handle 30 near the upper outsidethereof, adapted to be slipped into the alined loops of a bracket 30 andwhich can be removed therefrom and put into the tub duringtransportation of the machine.

The agitator or rubber 21 includes in its construction a tubular portionor dolly-post 31, which surrounds butis free from the tube 19, saiddolly-post being rigidly secured to the upper end of the shaft 6, whichupper end, it will be seen, extends a short distance above thecorresponding end of the tube 19. The dolly-post 3l, which is adapted toreceive the dolly block or body 32,which is normally situated near thelower end of said dolly-post, is provided with diametrically oppositekeys or wings 33, adapted to enter corresponding keyways or seats in thedolly block or body 32, the latter having on its under side thedepending pins 34. It will be seen that the dolly-block is keyed to thedolly-post, so as to rotate with the latter, and by reason of suchconstruction the dolly-block can be easily slipped from place when it isdesired to take the same from the tubfor example, in wringing theclothes.

The lid of the tub is denoted by 35, and it may be of the hinged kind,as shown.

The rack 29 has upon its under side thereof, the arcuate groove orchannel 36, in which the rubber pads or cushions 37 are suitablysecured. The extension 17 is provided with the vertical lug 38, adaptedto extend into the groove 36 and to strike the cushions 37 inalternation when the tub reaches the opposite ends of its movement.

'lhe segmental rack 29, pinion 15, and pinion 14 constitute amultiplying train of gears, the rack constituting lthe primary gear ofthe train, and it will be evident that the cushions 37, in connectionwith the lug 38, serve as a means for limiting the rotation of thereceptacle, the train of gears being so proportioned that when thereceptacle moves through the third part of a circle the agitator isgiven a complete rotation and in an opposite direction. The receptacletherefore has an oscillatory motion, the lug 38 constituting a stop andadapted to be alternately engaged by the cushion 37.

I provide means for locking the tub against movement when it is desiredto wring out the clothing after the same has been washed and will nowdescribe the same.

A locking-bolt is shown at 39, it being horizontally movable and beingadapted to extend through alined slots in the body of the rack 29 andbracket 40, secured to the tub 5 at the outer lower side thereof. Thelockingbolt 39 is provided at its outer end with a knob 41, by which itcan be readily manipulated, and its inner end is bifurcated or notched,as at 42. In Fig. 1 the locking-bolt is shown in its retracted position.When it is pushed in, the bifurcated end thereof is adapted to straddlethe upper end of the fixed shaft 16, so as to firmly hold the tubagainst movement. To release the tub, it is merely necessary to draw thelockingbo1t backward.

A coiled spring is shown at 43, it having extensions at its oppositeends provided with loops, as 44, one of which is adapted to it over thelower end of the stationary shaft 16, while the other of which isadapted to fit over the depending lug 45 on the bracket 40. The spring43 is of the pull kind.

IOO

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In Fig. 2 the tub is shown as being in a po- Y sition intermediate theends of its strokes, the spring 43 at this time being ineffective orlax. When the tub is moved in the direction of the arrow 46 in saidligure, the spring will be stretched, this result continuing until thetub reaches the limit of one end of its stroke, so that when a reversemovement is applied by the operator to the tub the spring by conin thetub surrounding the shaft and also eX- tending through said bottom andfixed to said tub, an agitator on the shaft in the tub, a gear fixed tosaid shaft below said bottom, a second gear meshing with the first gear,a

`rack secured to the tub and meshing with the second gear and havingagroove, rubber cushions seoured in said groove and a projection upon theframework adapted to be alter? nately engaged by said rubber cushions.

2. In a Washing-machine, a tub, a shaft extending through the bottom ofthe tub, a tube in the tub surrounding the shaft and also eX- tendingthrough said bottom of said tub, an agitator on the shaft in the tub, agear Xed to said shaft below said bottom, a second gear meshing with theirst gear, a segmental rack connected with the tub, a support for thetub, and means connected respectively with the rack and support forlimiting the rotary motion of the tub. y In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILBERT C. FAWKES.

Witnesses:

C. C. BEwsIc, F. BARTLE.

